1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to providing a portable system that will have a container of approximately two to three gallons to be filled with potable water, use a hand air pump to put air pressure in the top of the container, use the air pressure to force the water through a drinking water filter located at the bottom of the container and through tubing up to a faucet with a lever that can be pushed to allow filtered drinking water to come out the spout of the faucet when needed.
2. Prior Art
Many companies offer filtered drinking water systems for home use. They are normally hooked into the water pipes to the faucet on the kitchen sink and have a special faucet to dispense water. They can also be hooked into the end of the kitchen sink faucet where the aerator is located. These systems rely on the water pressure in the water pipes to force water through the filter in the drinking water system. Most are capable of providing about 500 gallons of filtered drinking water over a period of about six months. This results in a low cost per gallon for filtered drinking water. These systems fulfill a need in providing filtered drinking water in the kitchen where it is needed.
However, often times large quantities of inexpensive filtered drinking water are needed outside the home. Examples are at picnics, camping, at work, and while a person is traveling or driving around town in their vehicle. Therefore, there has been a need for a system that is portable for providing inexpensive filtered drinking water. An alternative is to buy bottled drinking water at convenience stores. When filtered drinking water is bought in these bottles, it can become extremely expensive compared to the cost per gallon for the filtered drinking water that comes from a system for home use. Therefore, a portable system could be used away from the home to provide less expensive filtered drinking water than buying it from convenience stores.
There are several portable water filtration/purification devices/apparatuses that have been invented. However these systems concentrate on converting contaminated water into potable water. They are not made for the purpose of providing a portable system for improving the taste and appearance and removing odor and contaminants from potable water with a capacity to produce several hundred gallons of filtered drinking water like the systems for home use.
Existing systems often use a pump that pushes water through the water filter. They do not provide a constant pressure in the container to dispense water from a faucet as needed. You would have to pull out on the pump to draw water into a cylinder and then push the pump to force water through the water filter and out a spout each time a drink is needed. These systems do not have a pressurized container that could dispense water as needed from a faucet like a home system.
These systems that convert contaminated water into potable water are small canteen-sized devices that appear to have a camping, survival or military use. They are not pressurized systems that can produce water by simply pushing a lever to have water come out a spout. They would not be practical to use for producing several hundred gallons of filtered drinking water. U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,146 to Moorehead et al (2002) is a canteen sized device that only produces a few pints of water at a time. U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,437 to Williams (1992) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,374 to Williams (1996) are for converting unpurified water and is small enough to be carried in a backpack or briefcase. Water has to be pumped each time water is needed and does not come from a pressurized system. Neither are practical to produce several hundred gallons of filtered drinking water.
Other portable systems have a drinking tube that depends on the suction from a person's mouth to draw water in the container through a water filter. This would be unsanitary if used by more than one person. They are small so they can be carried around or fit into a backpack thus are only good for supplying small amounts of water. They are made for camping, survival or military use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,613 to Koczur et al (1996) is designed to convert contaminated water into potable water, requires a chemical purification agent, depends on a drinking tube, is small and could only produce a small amount of drinking water. U.S. patent application 2004/0144711 Alto Cluff et al (2004) is to improve municipal water but depends on a drinking tube, is small and could only produce a small amount of drinking water.
Yet another portable container for purifying drinking water depends on an ozone generator to purify the water and the filter and an air pump for delivering ozone and air through the container. It appears to require a battery of operate. Again this system is small and could only produce a small amount of water. This is U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,143 Dalton et al (1999).